Anyone who’s been tasked with hiring a new team member at work knows it is a time consuming process.

Draft a job posting. Post it on job boards. Sift through applicants. The list goes on. And even then, you may not end up with the ideal match.

In many cases, companies turn to a recruitment firm for help. The right recruiter can find the strongest candidates available, in a fraction of the time it might take an HR professional or hiring manager to do so.

Stevenson & White is an Ottawa recruitment firm focused on finance, accounting and payroll positions. During its nearly two decades, the firm’s professionals have learned when it makes the most sense for a company to use a recruiter. They understand that their candidates have to be better than the people a company can source on its own.

Hiring savvy

Professional recruiters are full-time hiring experts, trained to identify the strongest person for the job amid a sea of potential candidates.

Specialized recruitment firms offer additional value because they have an even deeper understanding of a specific candidate market. Stevenson & White’s decision to focus solely on finance, accounting and payroll enables the team to have a thorough understanding of the roles their clients are looking to fill. The firm has a strong grasp on credentials and understands a position’s requirements, including the most technical qualifications.

Financial roles are usually vital to a business. Stevenson & White knows this and therefore moves quickly in locating candidates.

“Usually, there’s urgency to filling the role,” says Matt Stevenson, a partner with the firm. “It can be very detrimental to a company to go without a CFO, bookkeeper or other finance or accounting position for long.”

In contrast to professional recruiters, most HR professionals only spend a modest portion of their time on hiring. They may also lack expertise in the field they’re hiring in, especially for positions they rarely need to fill. Meanwhile, small companies often rely on an owner or manager to oversee the hiring of new staff on top of their other responsibilities.

Working with a recruitment firm can help to alleviate these pressures, leaving managers or owners to instead focus on growing the business.

Connections

In many cases, it takes more than scanning job boards and collecting resumes to find top talent — especially when you’re hiring a financial or accounting professional, who is typically a trusted advisor to a business owner or CEO.

Recruitment firms are connected to a deep pool of candidates, including those who are not actively checking job postings. Stevenson & White meets with every new client to understand their workplace culture and their business needs. They also sit down with each candidate to better understand what they’re looking for. This enables the firm’s recruiters to have greater insight into which candidates will be a fit for a particular company.

“It’s not about sending tons of candidates or tons of resumes, it’s about sending the right ones,” says Anne Stevenson, the founder and managing partner at Stevenson & White.

Professionalism

What happens if, despite best efforts, the candidate you choose turns out not to be a good match after spending a few months in your office?

If you hired the person yourself, it means you have to start the process from scratch.

Recruitment firms, however, typically stand by their placements and will find a replacement at no additional cost. Stevenson & White doubles the industry standard, guaranteeing all of its placements for six months.

Recruiters can also help when a company must make confidential staffing changes — a sensitive process requiring discretion.

Stevenson & White can perform a stealth search with a high degree of professionalism, ensuring the name of the client remains confidential. They can also provide confidential interview space at their own office so managers don’t have to bring candidates on-site.

Ultimately, the best way to decide whether to use a recruitment firm is to pick up the phone and speak to a professional about your needs.

I'm looking for a new job. Should I call a recruiter?

No matter your employment status, contacting a recruitment firm can be the first step on the road to landing your dream job.

Recruitment candidates range from unemployed and looking for work to currently employed but selectively looking for their next career move.

The biggest benefit for a candidate in calling upon a recruiter is time saved. Rather than spending hours preparing and sending cover letters and CVs to an assortment of potential employers, candidates can rest assured knowing they’ll be matched when the right opportunity arises. Some companies also don’t post their own jobs and prefer to work exclusively with a recruiter.

At Stevenson & White, recruiters take the time to meet with each new candidate so they fully understand what the candidate is looking for. This allows the individual to relax, have an open dialogue and place their own needs above those of a potential employer.